Daniel Garcia sentenced to federal prison in Roswell gun case

Daniel Garcia was sentenced in a federal court in Roswell for unlawful firearm possession. The hearing concluded a criminal case following a May 2025 shooting incident involving local police detectives.

Roswell Police Department detectives were running a crime suppression operation on May 16, 2025. They tried to contact Garcia, 39, when they saw him walking in the road. Garcia fled on foot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

One detective chased him. The detective heard a gunshot from Garcia’s location. The detective returned fire and struck Garcia. Officers took Garcia into custody and recovered a handgun near him.

Garcia spoke with investigators during an interview. He admitted possessing the gun. He claimed the weapon accidentally discharged into the ground. He was running at the time. Garcia claimed he did not know the men were law enforcement officers. Detectives wore plain clothes, and Garcia stated he did not see emergency lights.

Garcia acknowledged a prior felony conviction for trafficking methamphetamine barred him from gun ownership, federal officials said. Garcia pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A federal judge sentenced Garcia to 121 months in prison.

Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. Federal convictions carry mandatory terms served in the federal prison system. Supervised release terms follow the completion of prison time under court oversight.

Garcia will serve three years of supervised release after leaving federal prison. The case originated from the operation in Roswell.